Rathayātrā, car RathayatraHindu festival of India, observed by taking an image of the a deity in a procession through the streets, thus affording . This affords darshan(auspicious viewing) of the deity to worshipers worshippers who, because of caste or sectarian restrictions, are not admitted to the sanctuary. It also dramatizes the Hindu conviction that however much the power of an image deity may be associated with a particular, familiar place, that power has a wider orbit as well.

The most famous

Rathayātrā

Rathayatra festival is that of the god Krishna

worshiped

, worshipped as

Jagannātha

Jagannatha, which takes place at Puri in Orissa and at

Shrīrāmpur

Shrirampur in West Bengal

, but

. Many similar festivals for other deities are observed in

many parts of south and east

India and Nepal.

The images are taken out in procession in

Important images may be carried on elaborately carved wooden chariots, which are often extremely large and heavy, requiring hundreds of

worshipers

worshippers to pull them

. See also Jagannātha.

, while village deities may travel on far simpler, lighter palanquins.